Selective positioning, stacking, and feeding machine



Feb. 15, 1955 A. GAus'MAN SELECTIVE PosITIoNING, STACKING, AND FEEDING MACHINE Filed Jan, 25. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 SELECTIVE POSITIONING, sTAcKING, AND FEEDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1951 A. GAUSMAN Feb. 15, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. /Nfred Grumman I1 TTIIRNE'YS,

A. GAUSMAN Feb. l5, 1955 SELECTIVE POSITIONING, STACKING, AND FEEDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1951 4 SheetS-Shee?l 3 IN VEN TOR. /fed @da Sind/l l w wai W u Ma m :t I l 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 E @my mwwl mr www m QN i Av1.

INVENTOR. flifral Gafas/aan A. GAUSMAN SELECTIVE POSITIONING, STACKING, AND FEEDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1951 United States Patent C SELECTIVE POSITIONING, STACKING, AND FEEDING MACHINE Alfred Gausman, West Hempstead, N. Y., assignor to Henry Heide, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 2S, 1951, Serial No. 207,690

8 Claims. (Cl. 198-30) The present invention relates to a machine for assembling candy wafers or the like into stacks preparatory either to being wrapped automatically or by hand. More particularly, the present invention provides a selective positioning and feeding machine of this type which may be charged with two or more types or colors of wafers and which will automatically deliver the same in stacks to theinitial station of a wrapping machine, with the wafers in preselected positions according to their respecptive colors or other characteristics.

In the candy industry, and particularly in the manufacture of cream mints of two or more colors, such for instance as the familiar white and pink variety of cream mints, the product is customarily offered for sale in live cent packages of seven or more mints in stacked relation which are wrapped in transparent packaging material such as wax paper, cellophane and the like. The appearance of the product is greatly enhanced if the mints are alternately arranged by color.

Prior to the present invention it had been common practice to manually arrange the mints in alternate colors in individual stacks. This is a costly and tedious operation. Furthermore, it had been Acommon practice to manually deliver such stacked mints to the rst station of a wrapping machine.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine which will automatically select, position, stack and feed two or moren products of different characteristics (such, for instance, astwo different colors of mints) in a predetermined arrangement and will deliver the same to the initial station of a wrapping machine and thereby eliminate the costly and tedious manual opera- `tions heretofore required for this purpose.

According to the present invention there is provided an endless conveyor the active component of which is normally disposed in a horizontal plane, said conveyor being formed on its upper surface witha plurality of arms, which travel between longitudinally extending partitionsV disposed above the conveyor to provide commodity-receiving pockets arranged in transverse and longitudinal rows, said conveyor passing beneath two or more commodity-delivering sources from which commodities having different characteristics are adapted to be delivered to the pockets, means being provided adjacent the first commodity source to enable such commodities to be fed into only preselected pockets and means being provided beneath the second commodity source to cause the commodities from said second source to enter only other preselected pockets in the endless conveyor, Awhereby said commodities of different characteristics are positioned in a predetermined arrangement and are fed to a discharge station in both stacked and p selectively-positioned arrangement ready for delivery to the rst station of an automatic packaging or wrapping machine. The present invention also provides a transfer wheel which operates in timed relation with said conveyor and receives successively therefrom one stack of commodities and delivers the same to the first station of a conventional type of wrapping machine.

The foregoing and other features of the invention, not specifically recited, will be more readily understood from the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure lis a side elevation of a machine of the present invention; l

'.Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the machine in substan- Vsuitably supported by legs 13 (Figs. l and 2).

ice

tially end elevation taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1,

and looking in the direction of the arrows;

3 is a plan view of the machine of Figure l;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a wrapped package of mints stacked and arranged in alternate colors by the machine of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the transverse rightangled members forming part of the longitudinally movable conveyor;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of the machine partially broken away to show underlying structure;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section taken along the broken line 7--7 of Fig. 6, and viewed in the direction of the arrows, the conveyor elements and the mints being shown inV elevation.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8--8 of Fig. 7, viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 9 is a similar sectional view taken along the line 9 9 of Fig. 7, viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged side elevation, with parts broken away, of the transfer wheel and associated parts of the wrapping machine shown at the left of the machine in Figure l; and

Fig. ll is a section taken along the line 11-11 in Fig. l0, and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

In order to simplify the present description, the invention as illustrated in the drawings will be herein described in the form in which it would be used for stacking eight cream mint disks of two colors, pink and white, for selectively positioning them alternately by pink and white, and for feeding them and delivering them in such stacked and alternate color arrangement to the rst station of a Lynch automatic wrapping machine of the type which is shown in United States Letters Patent No. 2,336,752. It will be understood, however, that the machine of the present invention is not limited in its application to the handling of cream mints; nor is it limited to selective positioning by color; nor is it limited to the selective positioning of only two commodities having different characteristics. i

As seen from the drawings, the machine comprises a table 10 having side rails 11 and end frame members 12 Journaled in suitable bearings 14, 15 (Fig. 2) is a drive shaft 16 driven through mitre gears 17, 18 from a power source (not shown) by a power drive shaft 19. Secured to the drive shaft 16 and mounted on a shaft 20 in suitable bearing supports 21 mounted on an end` frame member 12 are a pair of sprocket wheels 22, 23, respectively, the sprocket wheel 23 being driven by a sprocket chain 24 and normally rotated continuously in the direction of the arrow in Fig. l. Also xedly mounted on the shaft 20 is a pair of axially spaced sprocket wheels 25, 26. A second pair of sprocket wheels 27, 28 are correspondingly disposed on a shaft 29 supported in bearings 30 affixed to the end member 12 at the opposite end of table 10.

Two endless roller chains 31, 32 disposed in substantially parallel relation engage the teeth of each pair of sprocket wheels disposed on opposite sides of the table 10, the chain 31 engaging over sprocket wheels'25 and 27 and the chain 32 engaging over sprocket wheels 22 and 23. As best seen in Figs. 6 to 9, the chains 31, 32 carry a plurality of right-angled members 33 `disposed transversely of said roller chains to which they are secured by offset lugs 33a on the chain links by rivets or the like, said right-angled members having substantially continuous bases 34 which extend laterally across and between the chains and having upstanding flange portions 35 which are cut out, as shown at 36, to provide a plurality of spaced upstanding fingers 37, for a purpose which will presently be made apparent. The several right-angled members 33 are disposed with their base portions 34 in spaced relation, as shown in Figs. 6

. and 7, the spaces therebetween being partially filled by or hopper 40 is suitably supported above and to one aside of'the conveyor"39 and constitutes a first filling station, generally designated A. The first commodity bin 40 is provided with a downwardly sloping chute .41whichterminatesin a VhorizontalbaseV A41a foverlying the conveyor land Afacilitates feeding'thefirst commodity-fwhich, for illustrative purposes, Vshall Abe deemed tobeA-white-,creamzmintsiu42. A second commodity `lbin ;or .hopper 43 having a downwardly Vsloping chute 44 which terminates in a horizontal base 44a overlying vthe conveyor is-suitably positioned and supported at thefsecond filling station, referred toV generally as B, whereat the second commodity is deliveredto theconveyor 39. 'Forconvenience the second commodity will `bedescribed as pink cream mints 45.

It will be seen from Figs. 3, 6, 8 and 9 of the draw- A`ings-that aplurality of vertically disposed partitions @'50 Y'are provided whichvextend'the full length of the table and thatthe upstanding-fingers 37 ofthe rightangled ,members 33 pass between these partitions, the -latter being disposed in the cut-outs 36 which are provided in the `flange portions 35. It will thus beappar- 'vent -that the conveyorV 39, in conjunction with the partitions 50, provides a plurality of individual commodityreceiving pockets 51 and 52 which are definedby .a1- Vternate pairs of partitions 50 and by the upstanding fingers 37, said pockets being arranged in bothtransverse and longitudinal rows. In the form vof the in- `vention illustrated, eight such pockets provideV each transverse row.

Referring now to Fig. 8 of the drawings, which shows a section ltaken along the line 8 8 of Fig. 7, or in rother words an end view of that portion of the conveyor and hopper 40 constituting the firstfilling station A, it will be noted that the bottom 41a of the bin or hopper 40 constitutes a platform which overlies, is adjacent and communicates with a plurality of triangular shaped hoods or covers 55 spanning each alternate pair of partitions 50, thereby closing off the alternate longitudinal rows of pockets above the conveyor from 4 the receipt of commodities from the first commodity -bin 40. Inthis connection it will be noted thatthe triangular shaped hoods or covers 55 not only prevent the admission of commodities into certain rows of pockets but they also serve to facilitate, because of *their inclined sides, the entry of commodities 42 from the base 41a of hopper 40 into thepockets 52 provided Yinthe'uncovered rows of partitions 50. The triangu- `lar shapedhoods 55 preferably extend from the start of station A, designated by the line 56, to line 57 where such station ends and station B commences.

Referring now to Fig. 9 of the drawings whichshows -asection taken along the line 9--9 of Fig. 7, or in other-words an end view of the conveyor and hopper #'43 which Vconstitute station B, it will be noted that a `second plurality of triangular shaped hoods or covers 60 are provided which span the alternate partitions -50, such hoods 60 being staggered with Vrelation to l-the hoods 55 and-serving to close pockets 52 which have already received commodities from the first bin r`40. v Pockets 51fin turn are now exposed to commodity-receiving condition and such hoods 60 serveto AVfacilitate the reception ofthe commodities 45 from the while the conveyor 39 is moving through station C, the commodity pockets 51, 52 are filled with cream mints which are disposed in upright position, the mints in the transverse rows being alternately disposed with respect to their colors. In this connection it should be stated that the mints are of athickness to substantially fill the width between a pair of partitions 50, while the fingers 37 are narrower than the mints. While the conveyor is passing through this station the operator of the machine can make certain by visual inspection that each pocket has been filled with a cream mint or other comvmodity.

It will also be noted that station C, which is in a normally horizontal plane, terminates slightly outwardly of the common axis of sprocket wheels 25 and 26 and merges into the downwardly inclined chute 63 which is substantially tangential with the periphery of such sprocket wheels. As the right angle members 33 are -carried by the conveyor over the `sprocket wheels 25, 20'

26, the upstanding fingers 37 act as pushers for driving each transverse stack of arranged mints down the chute 63, the latter being provided with a plurality of cut-outs or slots 68 in itsvbase to permit the fingers to pass therethrough ontheir continued travel around the periphery of the sprocket wheels, as best shown in Fig. l0. The chute 63 is also provided with vertically dis- -posed partitions or guides 69 in alignment at their up- .1n more closely stacked relation at the place of transfer to the packagingmachine. It will also be noted `from Fig. vl0 that as the right-angled members 33 travel Varound the periphery of the, sprocketV wheels 25, 26,

the upstanding ngers 37 defining the ends of each -pocket become spaced farther apart on radii of the sprocket wheels. Hence, in order to prevent the mints entering the then` enlarged spaces,v the cross-bars 38 Atransfer wheel 70 isl disposed at the base of the chute 63 andv suitably mounted for rotation on its axis in timed relation with the rotation of sprocket wheels 25,` 26, the transfer wheel being driven from the power shaft 19 which drives the machine of the present invention, the drive connection between the power shaft 19 and the wrapping machine being not shown in the drawings. 'Said transfer wheel 70 in its periphery isformed with a plurality of Vaxially extending U-shaped grooves 72 of a size and shape to receive therein one stack of mints delivered by the conveyor 39 and cooperates with an apron 73 to deliver thestacked mints to areceiving pocket 74 carried by a conveyor 75 of the wrapping machine of vthe type lplatform base 44a of the second bin 43 as the conveyor passes through the second filling station. The hoods extendfrom the line 57, the start of station B to 61,the end of such station, to the start of what is termed for convenience station C, whichV ends at line 62, Ywhich is the start of an inclined delivery chute V63.

AAny suitable means may be provided for feeding or moving the commodities from'the bases 41a and 144:1 `of the hoppers over the adjacent uncovered pockets \52 and 51, respectively. With a machine as disclosed, an operator brushesthe cream Ymints over the hoods at 'therespective stations whereupon the mints drop into rthe pockets by gravity, Of course, automatic means may be employed to accomplish the same desired ends. Y

Vhereinbefore referred to.

The transfer-wheel is given an intermittent rotary motionand, in the form illustrated, is periodically rotated 1A turn so as to transfer the mints received from the chute 63 from vthe position 72a of pocket 72 to the position 72b in Fig. Vl0, at which latter position the stacked and color-arranged mints are deposited in the pocket 74 of the automatic wrapping machine.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodi- Yment of my invention it willbe Vunderstood that various modifications may be made therein within the range of engineering and mechanical skill withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A machine ofthe characterA set forth, comprising a longitudinally movable conveyor, means providing with said conveyor a pluralityof longitudinally and transversely disposedrows'of article-receiving pockets, a plurality of article delivery platforms disposed in longitudinal spaced relation along the line of travel of said conveyor, at which platforms articles are deliverable to the receiving pockets, and means forselectively masking the pockets in predetermined rows to prevent the entry of articles thereinto' at predetermined delivery platforms.

2. A machine according to claim l, wherein the means for Vmasking the pockets-have downwardly sloping side walll for promoting entry of articles into the unmasked poc ets.

3. A machine according to claim l, wherein the means which provide with the conveyor the article-receiving pockets comprises iixed and movable components, the fixed components being disposed in parallel spaced relation longitudinally of the conveyor, and the movable components being carried by the conveyor and having projections which extend and are movable between the fixed components.

4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein the transversely movable components carried by the conveyor pro ject outwardly from and are spaced longitudinally of the conveyor, the projections on said movable components providing with the fixed components the article-receiving pockets.

5. A machine of the character set forth comprising a longitudinally movable conveyor having a plurality of transverse members movable therewith, each said transverse member having a plurality of upstanding fingers, a plurality of vertically disposed longitudinal walls disposed above said conveyor and providing with said fingers a plurality of longitudinally and transversely disposed rows of pockets, a plurality of article delivery hoppers disposed in longitudinal spaced relation along the line of travel of said conveyor, from which hoppers articles may be fed into said pockets, and hoods closing olf the spaces between some of said longitudinal walls adjacent the base of one of said hoppers to prevent the entry of articles into certain longitudinal rows of the pockets beneath such hoods.

6. A machine according to claim 5, wherein the hoods for masking the pockets are mounted on the vertically disposed longitudinal walls.

7. A machine according to claim 5, wherein there are hoods closing off the spaces between other of the longitudinal walls adjacent the base of another of said hoppers to prevent the entry of articles into other longitudinal rows of pockets beneath such hoods.

8. A machine according to claim 5, wherein the hoods adjacent the base of one of the hoppers span the spaces between alternate pairs of said walls to close ol alternate longitudinal rows of pockets and prevent the entry of articles thereinto, and hoods adjacent the base of another of said hoppers span the spaces between the other alternate pairs of Walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,437,409 Evans Dec. 5, 1922 1,618,503 Anderson Feb. 22, 1927 1,892,670 Jaeger Jan. 3, 1933 2,082,945 Ferenci June 8, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 205,409 Germany Mar. 8, 1908 543,180 Germany Feb. 1, 1932 710,906 France Aug. 31, 1931 

